The Palace of Marble
by KatNinja
Summary: RussiaxAmerica - Ivan was surprised but said nothing. He had not been allowed to eat with his last master. But Alfred seemed kind. Ivan though he would be a good king, like the current one. But what did he know. He was just a slave.
1. Chapter 1

A place of marble, quartz furniture, emerald, ruby, sapphire and diamond windows. None satisfied the young boy sitting in his room. He wanted something more. He was content where he was with the young prince, his little brother, or the king, his elder brother by many years. He was unhappy otherwise. Most people bored him, and he found that he was isolating himself more and more often. He knew that the king was worried about him, but the prince found himself not caring. He opened his window and glanced at the people walking below. The young prince was playing with his polar bear and a servant boy the young prince liked. The prince sighed and watched them. There was a knock on the gold door, and it opened to reveal the king. The prince stood up and smiled at his brother. The smile vanished, however, when he saw a boy, around his age, 16, standing behind the king.

"Alfred, I've been thinking that you need someone to talk to other than Matthew and I, sort of like what Gilbert is to Matthew. So I bought you a slave."

Alfred's frown increased and he shook his head.

"I don't want him."

The boy remained silent, looking at the marble floor.

"It's not optional," the king replied, pushing the boy gently towards Alfred.

"Arthur!" a voice called for the king. Alfred smirked slightly when he recognized the French accent.

"We'll be fine here," Alfred stated, "Go talk to your 'cook'."

Arthur blushed and hurried off, leaving Alfred and the slave alone. Alfred closed the door and went to sit at the window seat.

"So what's your name?" he asked, gesturing for the slave to come sit next to him, "since we're gonna be stuck together."

The slave sat down, pulling his scarf more around his neck.

"Ivan," he said quietly.

Alfred smiled, suddenly interested.

"Where are you from?"

"I was born in Moscow."

"Have you always been a slave?"

Ivan paused.

"Yes. My sisters and I were born slaves."

"Where are your sisters?"

"Back in Russia."

Ivan's accent was not heavy, but it was not light either. He had obviously been taught English by someone by the way he spoke. His speech was formal and grammatically correct.

Alfred sighed and stood up again, leaning over the seat to look out the window again. He looked down and blinked in surprise. Matthew had his arms around Gilbert's neck and they were kissing. Matthew's polar bear was wandering around aimlessly.

Alfred sighed again and pulled back from the window. Ivan watched him quietly as he sat down in his bed.

"We're going to eat in here tonight," he stated, suddenly cross. Ivan nodded and stayed in his spot, quiet and slightly nervous. He knew that many masters were cruel, like his last one had been, and he wondered if the prince would be.

Alfred said nothing more, laying on his bed. Ivan stood up and slowly walked over to him, sitting on the bed. The large cushion that was the mattress was comfortable and made of silk. Alfred looked up at Ivan, his expression curiously blank. He reached up and tugged on Ivan's shoulder, a silent command to lay next to him. Ivan obeyed and Alfred reached out, pulling himself closer to the Russian's warm body.

"I hate them," he whispered, "They're boring and Arthur forces me to talk to them."

Ivan remained silent.

"Sometimes… I wonder why I torture myself by staying here."

Ivan gently pulled Alfred into a hug.

"Who owns your sisters?" Alfred asked after a pause of silence.

"It is unimportant."

Alfred frowned and sat up.

"It is important. Tell me."

Ivan sighed.

"An old General. I do not know his name. I never had a need to know it."

Alfred nodded thoughtful and laid back down.

Ivan became silent again, and Alfred did not speak. A servant came in later to announce dinner, but Alfred shooed him away, telling him to have their food brought to them here.

Ivan was surprised but said nothing. He had not been allowed to eat with his last master. But Alfred seemed kind. Ivan though he would be a good kind, like the current king.

But what did he know.

He was just a slave.

The food was soon brought to them, and Alfred sat up. They were given their plates and began to eat. Alfred was silent the whole time, pondering something. After a servant came and took their food away, he spoke.

"You won't be my slave," he said, smiling at Ivan, "You'll be my best friend. You'll have to stay here, and we can't tell Arthur, of course, but when I'm king, you can go. And I'll buy your sister's freedom as well."

Ivan was silent from shock for a moment, before smiling.

"Thank you," he said. He almost bowed, but Alfred stopped him.

"You're my best friend. You don't have to bow to me."

Ivan smiled.

And that was how it started.


	2. Chapter 2

I had been about 2 years, and Alfred and Ivan were both eighteen.

Alfred sat in his room, sighing. Ivan smiled faintly.

"Frustrated?"

"Yes! I'm not just some little kid Arthur can push away like that! I'm going to be king!"

Ivan sat next to Alfred.

"I know. You don't have to explain it to me."

A smile flashed across Alfred's face.

"That's why I like to talk to you. You just understand."

"Well, I am your 'best friend'."

Alfred paused. "I guess you really have turned into that."

Ivan smiled and Alfred smiled back.

'And I hope more…' Alfred mused distantly. Ivan stood up to leave, feeling that he had been dismissed, but Alfred grabbed his wrist.

Ivan sat back down, confused as to what Alfred what Alfred wanted. Alfred sighed and suddenly pulled Ivan down into a quick kiss. Ivan froze, stunned.

Alfred soon pulled away, blushing in shame and looking down as his heart squeezed painfully.

"Sorry, I-I shouldn't have. I-"

Ivan gently covered Alfred's mouth,

"It never happened, Alfred," Ivan said quietly, sitting on the bed next to the prince. He removed his hand, and Alfred nodded, not looking up. Ivan smiled at Alfred and stood up.

"Am I allowed to leave?" Ivan asked.

"If you feel like it."

Ivan sat back down. "Will you be okay?"

Alfred hesitated. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Ivan sighed lightly,

"Let's go get dinner," Ivan said quietly, standing up again and pulling Alfred up with him. Alfred allowed himself to be dragged off by the Russian.

---------

Ivan's voice was what woke Alfred the next morning, as it always did. Ivan was calmly telling the prince to get up, so they go get breakfast.

Alfred rolled over and groaned.

… Ivan was cupping his face in his hands, and…

"Get up, Alfred," Ivan said, pulling the covers off of him.

Alfred sighed and shivered, turning over and looking sleepily at his best friend. Could he not even have him in his dreams now?

He stretched and got up, purposely not looking at Ivan so not to recall his dream.

The morning light lit the palace brightly, sending patterns of blue, red, green and yellow across the marble floor and upon the quartz furniture.

Ivan watched the patterns and sighed. He had long become accustomed to the grandeur of the palace.

"Are you mad at me?" Ivan asked. Alfred sighed lightly and turned around. "Not, I'm not mad at you."

"Then why do you look upset?"

"Why do you think?" Alfred said harshly, but immediately regretted it. Ivan looked down at the colored patterns.

"I'm sorry."

Alfred sighed again. "It's not your fault, it's mine. Come on, let's go get breakfast."

Ivan nodded, and grabbed Alfred's hand when they left. Ivan let go of the prince's hand when they arrived in the dining room, however. Arthur was sitting at the head of the table, as usual. He looked tired, annoyed and his eyes were red as if he had been crying.

Prince Matthew was sitting on Arthur's left, fidgeting uncomfortably. Gilbert was leaning over and whispering in Matthew's ear.

Alfred sat down at Arthur's right, determinedly not looking at Matthew and Gilbert's almost intimate position. Ivan sat down, almost sighing. This seemed like this was going to be an unpleasant breakfast.

Ivan was surprised when a servant brought in the food instead of Francis. The food didn't taste quite like Francis' either. The King did not seem very hungry, nor did he eat much.

Alfred talked to Matthew, after Arthur had excused himself.

"Arthur and Francis got into a fight and Francis quit," Matthew replied, sighing.

Alfred sighed as well. "Do you think that he'll come back?"

"I don't know."

Alfred sighed again. "I'm going to walk in the garden, come on, Ivan."

Ivan nodded and followed Alfred out into the large, spiraling gardens. The eldest prince wandered around the maze.

"What?" he asked finally, "Why do Arthur and me have such bad luck with love?"

Ivan sighed, sure they were lost now.

"You do not have bad luck," Ivan replied, shaking his head.

Alfred stopped and turned around, furious.

"Oh, yeah?! Why do you think that?! I'm i_really/i_ in love for the first time in my whole life, and you don't love me-"

The prince was cut off by Ivan pushing him up against the side of the maze and kissing him fiercely.

"I do love you, Alfred, but it will never work!"

Alfred looked up at Ivan for a moment, stunned. He soon recovered, before asking, his tone pleading,

"Why not?"

"You're the crown prince, Alfred. You need to have children. You need a _queen_. And I can't be that."

Alfred sighed.

"I'll just make my cousin's children my heirs, Ivan," Alfred reached up and wrapped his arms around the Russia, "I love you, and want to be with you. Fuck, Ivan, I rather have you than a queen."

Ivan looked away.

"It's not good for your kingdom."

"It has nothing to do with my kingdom."

"You're going to be king. Everything you do is effects your kingdom."

"My kingdom won't even know. I just will never get married."

Ivan pulled away, shaking his head.

"We can't."


End file.
